It was a remix by Belgium DJ The Magician which made Swedish dream pop singer Lykke Li internationally known. In 2011, her song “I Follow Rivers” was her very first worldwide commercial success. Having grown up in Portugal, Morocco, Nepal, India, and Sweden before moving to Bushwick for three months when she was nineteen only to return when she was twenty-one to record her album, Li already had an understanding of a transient sound that breaks the pop mold expanding into art.

Since then, she became a mother and took her time to release her fourth album “So Sad So Sexy” through RCA last June, probably her sexist record to date. Being known to be mysterious, Li welcomed us backstage during her latest Parisian show at the Bataclan for a little shoot and chat.

Since your record “I Never Learn” in 2014 which made it onto several of the year’s best album lists including Billboard and Pitchfork, what’s really changed in your life?

To be honest, all my life has changed! I moved to Los Angeles, I’ve had a child and my mom passed away. It’s all these kind of things which clearly changes somebody’s life. And I guess all these events made me became a strong woman. Yes, during all these years when I was silent, so much good and bad things happened.

You have flirted with Hollywood having acted in a Terrence Malik film and as a featured guest musician on David Lynch’s The Big Dream with lead vocals on the hauntingly beautiful “I’m Waiting Here”.  Did moving to Los Angeles, change your artistic creativity?

Yes of course. People are easier to deal with creatively there. They are more open to working with you if there’s a good feeling.  I felt free to do the music I want and to have the people I want, open-minded people. For example, I love the idea of taking a coffee with an artist or a producer to talk about how we can make things or not. It’s so natural in LA to talk about music.

You released a remix of “No Rest for the Wicked” featuring ASAP Rocky back in 2014 and you previously worked with French singer and video maker Woodkid for the movie Divergent. Beyond your time spent stateside, is France somewhere that inspires you?

I fucking love France. It’s the culture, the food and my favorite fashion designers are French. For my Paris show, Mugler made me a special outfit and I’m very proud to wear it in such a symbolic venue. I fucking love oysters and champagne too (laughs).

When listening to your new record, you seem to be open at every genre of music. Has it been important for you to explore all this?

Yes, I don’t like when people put me in a box. When you like something just go for it! It’s the magic tips when you are an artist and when you want to be free when you create. For “So Sad So Sexy” I was happy having rapper Aminé as well as Skrillex. Music has no genre!

For you, who is the most amazing artist of the moment?

For me, Kendrick Lamar is the best living artist ever!

Backstage with Lykke Li shot on 35mm by Dan Spigelman with the interview by Ivica Mamedy